Cocoa husk application in the enrichment of extruded snack products

Abstract

© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The aim of this research was to enrich extruded snack with cocoa husks. It was added to corn grits in 5%, 10%, and 15% d. m., the moisture was set to 15%, and the prepared samples were extruded in a laboratory single screw extruder at 135/170/170°C, with 4 a mm-round die and a screw with the compression ratio of 4:1. Physical properties, resistant starch (AOAC 2002.02), starch damage (AACC 76-31), polyphenol content (Folin-Ciocalteau), and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were determined. Although the addition of cocoa husk resulted in harder, darker snacks with increased retrogradation tendency, these properties were still in the acceptable range. Resistant starch, polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of the flips increased proportionally with the addition of cocoa husks, while starch damage slightly decreased, indicating that cocoa husk may be successfully employed as an agent for the fortification of nutrients. Practical applications: The practical application of the research is dual. On one hand, chocolate industry has opened new way to exploit its by-product (cocoa husk), which is much better than as use as feed (theobromine has to be removed for this purpose) or mulch (lack of husk is that is light and has to be used in large quantities, which may affect soil properties). On the other hand, snack industry has gain insight into how to improve nutritional properties of the products that are calorie dense and nutritionally very poor.